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Madesu (Braised White Beans in Rich Tomato Sauce)

Name: Madesu (Braised White Beans in Rich Tomato Sauce)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: DR Congo
Ingredients: 450 g dried white navy beans (or haricot beans, soaked overnight for 8 hours and drained); 1800 ml water (for boiling beans); 60 ml unrefined red palm oil (Mwamba) or vegetable oil; 150 g yellow onion (finely chopped); 20 g garlic cloves (finely minced); 15 g fresh ginger (finely grated); 70 g double-concentrated tomato paste; 250 g fresh plum tomatoes (grated or finely pureed); 2 pieces whole fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (Pilipili, left whole and unpierced); 2 pieces dried bay leaves; 10 g vegetable or beef bouillon powder; 5 g fine sea salt; 3 g freshly ground black pepper; 30 g scallions or spring onions (thinly sliced, for garnish)

Creamy white beans slow-simmered in an unctuous, spiced tomato and red palm oil reduction with whole scotch bonnet.

Cook mode

comfort-foodslow-braisedbeansvegetarian-friendly

The story

Madesu is the beating heart of Congolese home-style family cooking, celebrated across Kinshasa, Bandundu, and the Kasai regions as a comforting lunch and dinner foundation. Served over fragrant white rice, fufu, or torn crusty baguettes, this dish exemplifies the nuanced balance of savory aromatics, rich palm oil, and gentle slow-braising. The authentic culinary nuance relies on simmering the beans until fully velvety before finishing them in an emulsified aromatic sauce, letting the bean starches thicken the savory tomato reduction naturally.

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